Piecing Them Together
by Deboritum
Summary: Jack's life begins when the first spirit of winter gives his powers to him. After drowning in the lake, his little sister Jessi comes looking for him, only to discover that he has become Jack Frost. Unfortunately, he has no memory of her, and they need to work in order to piece the memories together.
1. Chapter 1: Jack and Frost

**Author's note: **In this chapter you'll see Jack as a human, and the Jack Frost who came before Jack. Jack Frost essentially kills Jack and turns him into the newest Jack Frost, so the names may be confusing.

**Piecing Them Together**

**Chapter 1: Jack and Frost**

Ice skating really was the best part of winter, Especially for Jack and his little sister, Jessi. Something about sliding across frozen water made it feel as though you had powers, like you were a magical being of sorts. Of course, Jack knew these things were just fairy tales. He did try to keep them alive for Jessi though. Each day, he made sure that Jessi was bundled up and warm, for it was forever winter where they lived. He liked to make jokes about 'Jack Frost' nipping at her nose, and when she lost a tooth, he reminded her to put it under her pillow for the tooth fairy. And then of course, there was Christmas, and Jack showered her with stories and tales of Santa Clause.

"Jack, you promised you would take me skating on the big lake today!" Jessi ran up to him with two pairs of skates and a huge smile plastered on her face.

"Alright, alright I'm coming," he laughed, and ruffled her hair as he stood. At least once a week, they went skating on the small pond at the center of the village, where all the kids went for a day of fun. Every so often, Jack went to the lake about a mile out of town by himself. It was a great place to think, and a lot less crowded then the pond.

"Jack," their mother, Clarisse stopped them, "I don't know if that's a good idea. The ice may be too thin. I'd rather you went to check first, and bring Jessi tomorrow. Besides, she needs to help me cook dinner."

"But mum! You said I could!" Jessi complained. She had really been looking forward to this trip, and had already gotten ready.

"She's probably right, Jess. Don't worry, I'll just go check the ice and I'll be back later. There's always tomorrow!" Jack smiled again hugged her before taking his skates and putting on his winter cloak. He knew how disappointed she would be, but it really was for her own good.

"Be careful! I love you," his mother called, but he was already out the door.

000

"The boy should be coming soon," the moon whispered.

"I sure hope so. We really don't have much time, I could be gone any minute now," Jack Frost replied almost as silently. He was growing weaker by the minute, and could barely lift his staff anymore.

Every magical being, even Guardians, come to a time when they must pass on to the realm of the moon, and be with the stars. The cycle takes a very long time, but the end comes nonetheless. So when it does, they will pass their powers on to a worthy mortal, erasing their lives and creating for them a new one. It would be painful not only for the being, but for the mortal as well, and that was the most regrettable part of the process. But it must be done.

"Don't make it last too long. I don't want him to suffer." The moon said.

"I'll do what I can."

000

"Gosh, it's freezing out here." Jack's teeth were chattering, and he had goose bumps all over his arms and legs despite the heavy cloak. It was already dark, so he had to move quickly.

As Jack sat down and removed his boots and started on his skates, he heard a whisper. It was ever so soft, he wasn't sure he had even heard it. He then felt a tug on his cloak, pulling him towards the lake.

"Huh?" he murmured as he was lightly dragged to the edge of the ice. He decided to ignore it and went back to his skates. _Jeez, I'll get frostbite if I'm not careful_, he thought to himself.

Once more, his cloak was tugged, more forceful this time. With a yelp, he landed on the smooth icy surface, which slowly began to crack under the weight.

_Something is definitely not right._

He noticed suddenly that it had begun to snow. The flakes glistened in the moonlight, creating a surreal, white wonderland around him. Slowly standing up so as not to crack the ice further, Jack began walking along the ice to test it. More small cracks appeared here and there, but it seemed stable enough. This would be one of the last times Jack would be able to skate here until next year, for winter was coming to a close. It was almost spring, and therefore the ice would completely melt, however the weather would stay cool and chilly.

Again, Jack's cloak was tugged, and this time roughly dragging him along. It had brought him to the center of the lake, where he stood unsure of what to do or where to go. He knew that if he moved then he would just be dragged here again, so what was the point?

"Hello, Jack."

Whipping his head around to see where the sound was coming from and who had spoken, Jack came face to face with a strange man who had definitely not been present before. He quickly began backing away, however he didn't get very far after tripping over his own feet and falling over.

"Easy there, there's no need to be afraid. I'd like to introduce myself to you. I am Jack Frost, the spirit of winter, however, you can call me Frost." Frost held out his hand to help up Jack, and that's when Jack noticed that the man wasn't really standing on the ice; he was hovering above it.

Getting a better look, Jack also noticed that the stranger had very, _very_ white hair, like snow. His eyes were bright and a silvery liquid color that shown in the darkness. And then there was the staff, a large stick that curved on the end like a hook.

"Spirit of Winter?" Jack said with an accusing look on his face. "I'm sorry, this just… this isn't possible. Jack Frost, that's just a tale, he doesn't-"

"Exist." Frost said simply. He knew that this was the reaction he might receive. He had come prepared though. "I'd like to show you something Jack. Grab my hand."

Once more, Frost held his hand out to Jack, and after some contemplation, he grabbed it. As soon as he did, Frost flew into the air, taking Jack along with him.

"No, NO let me down, okay I believe you just let me DOWN!" Jack shouted. He tried wiggling out of Frost's grasp to get back to the ground, but Frost held tight. "PLEASE Frost put me down!"

Smiling in victory, Frost touched back to the ice, making sure that Jack didn't slip as he did so.

"Very good, you're first flying lesson. However I doubt that you'll remember it after I change you." Frost rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Change? What do you mean change me? What are you going to do?" Jack was scared again, not liking the idea of someone 'changing' him.

"I must be honest Jack. I am growing weak as the days go by. My magic is becoming less reliable, and it will soon be time for me to go to the stars. I won't be the spirit of Winter for much longer." The spirit looked down in sadness, but knew it was for the best, and that he must move on.

"What does this have to do with me? I can't help you," Jack said to Frost, unsure of what else to say.

"Oh, but it has everything to do with you, Jack. You will be the next spirit, and maybe a Guardian one day, if you're lucky."

"Guardian? I have no clue what you're talking about! I'm just a normal, 16 year old kid. I have no business with this kind of- of magic or whatever you're talking about." Jack was about to walk away, but as soon as he turned around, the ice beneath him shattered. Jack fell through into the stinging cold below.

"FROST! HELP ME!" he screamed when he realized that he for some reason couldn't swim. Jack raced to the edge of the hole in a panic, but he couldn't get out. As he began sinking into the dark water, he saw Frost peering into the hole and sealing it shut.

He was trapped, and he was going to die.

_Oh god, oh god no, please help me, please! I need to get out, I need to get home, I need Jess please get me OUT OF HERE!_

He was panicking, and he was going to die.

"Good luck, friend." Frost dropped the staff and disappeared into the night, hoping that Jack would be okay once this was over.

He was alone, and he was going to die.

As Jack's last breath and his life slipped away, only one thought crossed his mind, over and over.

_I'm going to die._

000

"Mum, Jack isn't home yet. Should we go looking for him?" Jessi was getting ready for bed, but refused to go to sleep until Jack came home.

"Oh, you know how your brother is. He probably got distracted on the way back. Don't worry, he'll be home soon." But Clarisse actually was worried. In weather like this, she knew that her son would be smart enough to come straight home. "Besides, you need to get to bed. He'll be home by morning, don't you worry." Clarisse kissed Jessi on the forehead and went to tuck her into bed.

"Okay, goodnight mum."

Clarisse stayed up almost all night waiting for Jack. As the hours went by, she grew more and more worried. Knowing that sleep deprivation would do her no good, she finally went to bed after hours and hours of waiting.

In the morning, Jessi rose earlier than usual, hoping to surprise Jack and bring him breakfast in bed. She went into the kitchen and began preparing it. She flipped the eggs, warmed the bread and cut the fruit. Once it was ready, she created a smiley face by using the two fried eggs as eyes and making the mouth out of pieces of dices fruit. She used two small pieces of bread to make the nose, and then went as fast as she could into Jack's room, making sure to be as loud as possible to startle him.

When the door banged open, the smile on her face fell, and the happiness in her eyes died. Jack's bed was empty, and he was nowhere to be seen. His blanket was still messy from the other day, his book still in the same spot on his nightstand, and his clothes still half in and half out of the dresser. Jessi set the plate down and went over to the hook where he kept his ice skates. The old brown ones that he grew out of still hung there, but the new ones that he loved were still missing, meaning that he hadn't returned from the night before.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she ran out of the room in disbelief. He had to be here, he just _had_ to.

"Jack!" she called as she ran from room to room. "Jack, where are you!"

Jessi's yelling caused Clarisse to wake up. Her head was hurting from staying up all night, and her daughter's shouting didn't help. "Jess, keep it down. What's the matter?"

"Jack is still gone! He hasn't come home and you said he would!" She was in tears, and she sat on the ground with her hands covering her face.

"Don't worry darling, we'll look for him. Come on, get your coat and your boots." Both of them raced to grab their coats and were out of the house in no time. Clarisse went to neighbor's houses and began knocking on doors.

"Hello, Mrs. Thorten, is your husband home? We need his help, Jack is missing."

They knocked on several doors and after a while they had a pretty large search party.

"Hello everyone. Thank you for coming out on such short notice. My son Jack is missing, and I haven't seen him since last night. He went to go ice skating at the lake and hasn't returned. Please, help us look for him."

The party split up into three groups of three. They all went to different places, Clarisse, Jessi and Mr. Thorten going to the lake first.

"Look everywhere."


	2. Chapter 2: The Rise of Jack Frost

**Piecing Them Together**

**Chapter 2: The Rise of Jack Frost**

It was a week after the incident that the village had pronounced Jackson Overland dead.

"Drowned in this very lake while checking the ice for skating," the Priest said to the people gathered around the bank of the lake. Each and every one of them carried a white candle that burned in Jack's honor, including Jessi. "As the moon shines down upon us this night, we gather to mourn, and to honor the death of a beloved friend, companion, and family member. May he rest in eternal peace."

Silently, the people stood and placed their candles and notes they had written up on the ice, the wax dripping down and holding them in place. The ice slightly melted as each drop burned on the cold surface. A few people cried, most of them bowed their heads and gave their condolences to Jack's sister and mother.

Jessi looked to the center of the lake, where there sat a large wooden stick. It was curved on the end like a hook, or a Shepard's crook. She could imagine her brother picking it up and swinging it around, telling her that it was a magic staff that levitated things. She gave a small, almost invisible smile before turning away to go back to the village with everyone else, but stopped when she suddenly heard a voice.

It was ever so quiet, she wasn't even sure she had heard it. But wait, there it is again!

"Jack… Frost." It said. The voice seemed to come from every direction, and it was soothing in a way that she couldn't exactly place. Jack Frost? Her brother used to say things about him nipping on your nose, and she had laughed at the thought of a person made of ice putting snow on her nose.

Jessi turned around, and looked again at the stick. It seemed to be glowing almost, like a whitish color that reminded her of the snow and ice that surrounded her. She wanted to go out and grab it, but didn't want to risk falling through the ice like Jack had, so she stood where she was, just thinking. Maybe that was Jack?

"Jess, it's time to go home." Clarisse's voice was hollow, not like the usual hint of kindness that lingered. All happiness that may have been there before was gone, and what replaced it was a sadness that Jessi had never heard before.

"But mum, look! Don't you see that stick over there? It's glowing! I think Jack's doing that!" The girl was excited at the prospect of Jack still being around somewhere.

"Honey, there's nothing there. Come on, I know you miss him, and I do too. I- I always will." Her voice was shaking.

"But mum! It's there! Right in the middle!" She was practically bouncing now, trying to lead her mother back to the lake.

"It's time to go."

000

Darkness. It was dark, and it was cold. The cold didn't seem to bother him as much as the darkness did though. In fact, he welcomed the cold, it was part of him, and he was part of it. But this darkness was just too much. He could feel himself slowly rising. Was he underwater? The feel of the cold liquid traveled through and around him, his cloak floating behind.

Then there was a light, a brilliant, pearly white. It was looking down on him with kindness, and it whispered. He didn't hear it at first, and strained to listen for it again.

"Jack… Frost." It whispered again, this time so he could hear it. _Jack Frost… that's me! I'm Jack Frost._

Jack's fingers grazed against a smooth flat surface above him, before it broke away into little pieces. He again began floating upward, now out of the water's reach and into the night sky. There before him was the moon, the great light. He looked to it in peace, knowing that it would chase the darkness away from him.

He floated softly downward and landed on the top of the ice. He felt extremely light, as though even if he tried to break through the hardened water, he wouldn't be able to with how light he was. He was like snow, like frost.

Looking around at his surroundings, he noticed a tall, glowing staff lying at his feet. Bending down to pick it up, he almost slipped but caught himself and stayed upright by grabbing onto the staff. As soon as he touched it, it glowed even brighter, and icy tendrils ran all the way from his hand to the crook at the end.

"Heh, wow that's pretty cool." Picking up the staff, he brought it down onto the ice and created layers upon layers of frost. "Nice," he commented. Smiling, Jack then raised the staff high above his head in experimentation. Without warning, he shot high into the air, the only thing keeping him from falling to the ground was his death grip on the staff.

"Aaaah! Let me down!" He pulled down on the staff and swerved to the right, landing on a snowy tree branch. "Well that was fun," he said dryly, once he managed to secure himself around it. With great caution, he managed to get down from the tree and back to the lake. And that's when he noticed all the candles on the edge.

"What's this?" He walked over to them and bent over, inspecting the small flames and the hot wax dripping from them. Here and there were little notes and flowers next to some of the candles, each saying essentially the same thing.

'In honor of Jackson Overland'

'Loving Memory of Jackson Overland'

'We miss you Jack'

'Rest in Peace, Jack'

And then there was a different note. It had a snowflake and a pair of ice skates drawn on the outside of it, and when Jack went to unfold it, his heart dropped as he read the words on the inside.

'I love you Jack. You always knew the right thing to say. I miss you, I miss your laughs, your jokes, your pranks, and most of all, I miss my big brother. You taught me everything there is to know about having fun. Where ever you are, I hope you still are having fun and making people laugh.

Love from your little sister,

Jessi'

As he set the note back on the ice, he started shaking in sadness. Whoever this Jackson person was had a lot of love coming his way. Jack knew that these candles and letters meant that Jackson had died, though he didn't know how or when. But most of the candles were still lit, so that meant that this had happened recently.

If people had left all these things here, then that must mean that there was a village, or maybe a campsite nearby! He could just ask someone what had happened.

Raising his staff again, however slower this time, he was once again in the air and in search for people or lights. He didn't have to look for very long, for he noticed many different things glowing in the distance, which was easy to make out in the darkness. He followed the light and arrived in no time to a very small village. Around him, houses made of wood were being closed up and doors locked. There were still quite a few people outside, so putting on a nice smile, he sauntered up to a young girl carrying a basket of eggs.

"Hello! Could you please tell me where I am? I was wondering-" he stopped mid-sentence when he realized that the girl paid him no attention as she kept walking. "Well then…"

Jack then attempted to ask an elderly man where he was, but again, he got no response as he remained ignored.

"What's wrong with these people?" He was getting annoyed and decided to walk straight up to the little girl again and grabbed her shoulder, but when he did, his hand went right through her. "What! No, what's happening? Hello! Can anyone hear me?" When he received no response, not even a glance, he grew incredibly worried, and started yelling. "WAIT, someone talk to me please!"

Jack Frost was invisible to the world.

000

He had slept that night on one of the benches outside, curled around his staff. It wasn't the most comfortable place in the world, but he wasn't going to go back to the lake. It was lonely there, and dark.

He also wasn't very comfortable to wake up and find a very large man sitting on his head, who obviously didn't know he was currently sitting on someone, or rather, _in_ someone.

"Ew! Get off!" Jack jumped up from the bench and stuck his tongue out at the man, who didn't see the rude expression. Sighing, Jack began walking around, floating around every so often to get around buildings or avoid knocking into one of the many wells that were scattered across the place. After a while, he found an ice covered pond with children skating around it. They were laughing and throwing snow at each other while they played. Some of them occasionally slipped and fell over, but they weren't really hurt.

"Hey guys, that looks like fun." Jack smiled and jumped onto the ice, skating around barefoot and creating a path of ice ahead of him to give a direction.

A few of the kids stopped skating, two of them falling over in the process. They stared at Jack, their mouths hanging open and their eyes wide.

"J-Jack? Is that you?" One of the kids asked. He ran up and tapped the spirit on the shoulder.

Jack turned around to face the little boy. He looked to be about 11 or 12, and had rather dark skin. He looked somehow… familiar, but Jack couldn't quite place it.

"Yeah, wait… can you see me?" He whispered and bent down to the kid's eye level.

The boy nodded, and smiled very largely, showing all of his teeth.

"Jack, you're alive! How are you here, what happened? You guys, it's Jack!"

Now everyone had stopped skating. Most of the kids looked around in confusion, wondering if the boy was going mad and what he was talking about. Others were staring right at Jack, unsure of what was happening. All they knew was that he was apparently alive.

"Jack!"

"Is it really you?"

"What happened to your hair?"

"How did you do that with the ice?"

They ran up to him and began hugging him, all the while the spirit had no clue what was happening. He didn't get it, some of the kids could see him, and the others couldn't?

"We have to take you to your mother and Jess! They'll be so happy to see you," The kids took Jack's hand and led him away from the pond and walked through the village. They received many strange looks from the adults, who just shook their heads and blamed it on 'imagination'. It was rather odd to see a huddle of children walking through the snow with ice skates on and talking to some imaginary friend, or so they thought he was imaginary.

They arrived at a rather run-down looking house near the edge of the village. It wasn't completely desolate looking, but it could use some repairs. Jack also assumed that it belonged to a small family, judging by the size of the house.

"Well go on in! It's your house," one of the girls said suddenly. She opened the door and pushed him inside.

"What do you mean? I've never been here before," he said in confusion. His house? The only things he owned were the clothes on his back and the staff he carried. "I think you're mistaken."

"Go IN. Talk to your sister and mom!"

They closed the door behind him, and he was stuck in some stranger's house without a clue.

"Uh, hello?" he called, "is anyone home?" when no one answered, he began to look around. There was a kitchen and a fireplace with chairs set around it, and three doors off to the sides of the room. He decided to go knock on one of the doors, and when he received no response, he opened it and went in.

There was no one there, it was just a messy room with an unmade bed and clothes strewn about the dresser. Looking around, he also noticed a pair of old ice skates that would probably be too small for him, not that he needed them anyway, and a book lying face down on a nightstand. Picking it up, he saw that it was titled '50 Jokes for Your Friends and Family'. He then set down the staff and began flipping through the pages, looking for any good ones.

'What did the hunter say when he saw a flying moose; I moose be dreaming!'

"Hah! Good one," the spirit kicked his feet up onto the bed and rested his feet on the footboard. He spent the next fifteen minutes reading the jokes and laughing at the good ones. "Haha! A moldy marshmallow!"

He was laughing so hard, he didn't notice when the door opened and a little girl with long brown hair and big brown eyes walked in. He still didn't notice when she looked at him and gasped.

"Jack?"


	3. Chapter 3: I Don't Know You

**Author's Note: Sorry for abandoning you. My computer got a virus so I have to write from my mom's computer. Oops.**

**Piecing Them Together**

**Chapter 3: I Don't Know You**

"Jack, is it really you?" Jessi walked into her brother's old bedroom with caution as the Jack look-alike had his head tilted back in full blown laughter. "HEY!" she yelled, trying to get the spirit's attention.

"Huh?" he said, looking towards the girl in confusion. "Oh, hey. Sorry about that, these are pretty funny." Jack set the book back on the nightstand and stood up. "Do you know where I am? I came here last night but everyone kinda… well, they didn't see me."

Jessi just continued to stare at him, mouth hanging wide open. It would have looked comical, except for the fact that her eyes were slowly filling with tears. "Jack…" she said quietly.

"Yeah, how do you all know me? You look like you've seen a ghost or something."

Jessi continued to stand there, closing her mouth after a while noticing she looked stupid, and ran. "MUM! IT'S JACK, HE'S ALIVE!" Jessi wasn't one for screaming out of line, she was mostly a quiet kid unless she was with Jack. So when she screamed her head off trying to get her mother's attention, Clarisse came running out of her room.

"Jess? What's wrong?" She said when she reached her daughter. "Are you hurt?"

"No, mum look! It's Jack you have to come see!" Jessi pulled her mother's hand towards the bedroom and pointed to the winter spirit who was now standing in the doorway. He waved at the two girls and sighed knowing that the woman wouldn't see him.

"Jessi, there's nothing there. You really have to stop this, he's not coming back."

"But-"

"No. Come on, we'll eat some breakfast and I'll take you over to your friend Clara's house." Clarisse walked away to prepare two bowls of oatmeal, leaving her daughter there.

"How come she can't see you?" she whispered to Jack.

"I really don't know. Only some of the kids can see me, but none of the adults do. " Jack sighed again and grabbed his staff, hoping to leave before the girl asked too many questions. He wanted to go outside, for the house was becoming too warm for his liking after Clarisse started a small fire in the fireplace.

"How are you here? I mean you… died." She said unsurely, hoping not to offend him.

"What? What are you talking about, I'm right here. I think you have me mistaken for someone else."

"Absolutely not. Jack, what happened to you, you look like a ghost."

"Do I? I wouldn't know." He hadn't bothered to look at his reflection since he was created, deeming it unimportant as he played with the staff.

"Oh… well your hair is awfully white, along with your skin. It's like parchment, or snow. And your eyes, they're so… unbelievably blue." Jessi did her best to describe his features to him, as she had no access to a mirror right now.

"White? You're joking."

Jessi shook her head and smiled.

"Well, I guess that makes sense, being Jack _Frost_ and all." he chuckled and swung his staff around, creating tiny snowflakes from the end and allowing them to drift around the room.

"Frost? No, you're Jack _Overland_, not Jack Frost. Don't you remember anything? And what's with the staff and the snowflakes? What's going on?" she was on the verge of tears again, seeing her brother like this without a clue and creating snow in his bedroom.

"Um, no. Like I said, you must have me confused. I _just_ got here yesterday."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Listen, it's a long story, and I've really gotta go. It's really hot in here and I don't want to be sweating onto your floor. Sorry," Jack took off and went through the kitchen to the front door. After opening it and throwing himself into the snow outside, he felt instantly better, like he wasn't going to melt.

Jessi quickly went to get her boots and coat and ran after the spirit. Hopefully he hadn't run away by now. However, when she got outside she saw that that was not the case, as he was currently rolling around in the snow, his staff creating jets of ice here and there.

"How are you doing that?" she pointed to the blotches of ice that dotted the snow in some places.

"I honestly don't know, it just happens."

"Oh."

They both stared at each other in an awkward silence, Jessi too excited (and confused) about her brother's presence, and Jack worried about her sanity when she claimed that he was Jackson Overland.

"So, nice seeing you." Jack said before quickly flying off as Jessi was left alone again.

000

It was night time once again. Jack had spent most of the day making snowballs and throwing them at unsuspecting victims, as well as flying. After a couple days of practice, he was already pretty good at staying up in the air without running into anything or simply falling out of the sky. He soon discovered that it was the wind that held him as he traveled through the sky, and kept him balanced.

He now lay in one of the many trees that surrounded the lake as his staff hung from a branch above him. He was covered in snow and frost, but the cold didn't bother him, it was more of a comfort.

With his hands behind his head, Jack looked at the sky, longing for a reason. Why was he here if hardly anyone could see him? What gave him these powers, and most of all, who was that girl? What was she even talking about?

There were so many questions going through his head that he didn't notice that there was someone trying to get his attention.

"Hey, kid! Get down here!"

Jack jumped in surprise and almost fell out of the tree, had he not been caught by the wind and balanced back onto the branch. Grabbing his staff, he looked around for who had spoken.

"Down here, ya moron."

Jack looked straight down and saw a giant… thing.

"What- I'm sorry, _who_ are you?" he asked the thing.

"Aster Bunnymund, you can just call me bunny."

"Bunny? You look more like a kangaroo to me." Jack jumped out of the tree and landed next to the bunny, stumbling a bit before regaining his balance.

"What's up? I'm Jack Frost," he said, holding out his hand for Bunny to shake.

"Yeah, I've heard." Bunny said, ignoring his hand, "I also heard that the other Jack Frost is gone, and you're here to replace him."

"Well, I don't know about that, but sure?" He was just confused all over again.

"So why aren't ya spreading winter?"

"Excuse me?"

"Winter is almost over here in Burgess, so you should be moving on somewhere else to create your snow," he said matter-of-factly.

"What's a Burgess?"

"It's where you are, snowflake."

"Oh."

"'Oh' is right, now get out of here, you might melt within the next couple of weeks if you don't, and Europe needs some snow." Bunnymund was about to turn around and walk away, but Jack stopped him.

"Wait, how can you even talk? You're a kangaroo."

"Rabbit, mate, I'm a rabbit."

"Right, sorry. So how can you?"

"You mean you've never heard of me? I'm the Easter Bunny, Guardian of Hope, spreader of joy. How old are ya anyway, kid?"

"Sixteen."

Bunny whistled lowly and looked him up and down. Jeez, he was scrawny. "Sixteen? You look younger than that. Why were you even changed so young?"

The teen looked quizzically at Bunny and repeated, "Changed?"

"Yeah, turned into a spirit. Why did the moon change you when you're so young? Everyone else was at least in their twenties. Except Fire, I think he was younger than you. Ah well, he's a troublemaker anyway, can't stand him."

"Um, I don't know. I wasn't changed, I was created. Like, yesterday."

"Of course you were changed, you weren't just born like this. Especially with that hair of yours, wow, I need sunglasses to keep from going blind."

"Hey!"

"Whatever, so you gonna leave or what?"

"No!"

"You're gonna have to at some point, unless you want to burn up."

"Burn?"

"You _are_ the embodiment of winter, and snow doesn't do so well with the heat."

"Okay, listen. I haven't understood one thing you've been talking about since you got here," Jack suddenly said, "and I have no clue what you mean by 'changed' or 'Guardian of hope' or spreading winter or anything! I just came here last night without a clue. All I have is this staff. Why can't people see me, and why do they keep asking how I'm alive?"

Bunny was shocked at Jack, mostly because the boy obviously didn't know what he was talking about.

"You really don't know _anything_?"

"No!"

"Mate, you had a life before this. You were human."


End file.
